1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to diffusion devices, kits and methods for delivering supplemental air to a patient.
2. The Relevant Technology
Maintaining a sufficient oxygen supply is critical to sustaining human life. While most people can easily obtain sufficient oxygen through normal breathing of ambient air, there are circumstances where ordinary breathing cannot provide adequate oxygen. Patients are often given supplemental air enriched with oxygen. The need for supplement air can be caused by many different conditions, including lung disease, trauma, hazards such as smoke inhalation, and premature birth. Supplemental air can also be used to deliver a medicament to a patient.
Supplemental air is typically administered by delivering oxygenated air from a tank to the mouth and/or nose of the person. There are two principle ways supplemental air is administered to a person. One technique uses an oxygen mask that covers the person's nose and mouth. The oxygen mask typically allows the person to breathe surrounding air while delivering supplemental air to the space between the mask and the patient's face. The supplemental air mixes with the air being inhaled to ensure adequate oxygenation of the patient. Oxygen masks are commonly made of a translucent plastic. They typically have a connector on the outside that allows a hose to be attached and an outlet on the inside of the mask for delivering the supplemental air. They may have an elastic cord that wraps around the back of the head to secure the mask to the patient.
While oxygen masks are very effective at delivering supplemental air to a patient, they can be uncomfortable, awkward, unsightly, and pose health risks for some patients. Some patient's can feel claustrophobic or anxious when hoses and/or devices are attached to their face or head. Infants and young children tend to pull them off as they are typically averse to objects covering their faces. Adults might use them while in a hospital, bedridden or otherwise out of sight of others, but may be averse to wearing them in public, particularly in social settings where they may draw negative attention and cause embarrassment. Masks muffle speech and inhibit normal conversation. From a safety standpoint, masks that cover the patient's face can make it difficult for caretakers to discover foreign objects or debris, such as food, vomit or mucous, that might be accidentally inhaled by the patient or that might obstruct the diffusion of supplement air
To avoid some of the problems associated with masks, patients can be given supplemental air through a nasal device, i.e., tubes inserted into the nostrils and taped to the patient's face. Rather than covering the entire mouth and nose, the nasal device delivers supplemental air to only the nose. Nasal air delivery devices permit viewing of the mouth and allow the patient to talk more easily. However, such devices require nasal breathing by the patient to obtain supplemental air. Nasal delivery devices also suffer from negative social stigma, as they are both unsightly and emit audible bursts of air. Infants and young children tend to rip the tubes out of their noses, thereby destroying their effectiveness.
One attempt to avoid the disadvantages of masks and nasal devices utilizes a food grade funnel jerry-rigged with a universal connector stuffed into the smaller end, often with the aid of tape to hold it in place, to which is attached a hose that supplies oxygen enriched supplemental air. This improvised funnel device is laid on the chest of an infant and supplemental air is blown out the enlarged funnel opening toward the face of the infant.
Because the improvised funnel device does not cover the infant's face, infants do not notice it and tend to leave it in place, at least while sleeping on their backs. However, even small movements can cause the improvised funnel device to fall off the infant's chest, creating a dangerous situation for infants who require supplemental air to live. Consequently, the improvised funnel device generally cannot be used while the infant is awake or otherwise prone to move. It requires careful attention and/or frequent monitoring by a health care provider. Unless taped to a patient's body (e.g., by winding surgical tape around the funnel and patient's chest), the device cannot be used by a patient in a sitting, standing or other upright position, but only while supine on the patient's back. Tape may not always stick well to a patient's shirt, or it may stick too well and leave adhesive residue.
Another problem with the improvised funnel device is that the universal connector is merely provisionally attached and can easily become detached or leak. Leakage can cause waste and/or result in insufficient supplemental air reaching the patient. Detachment can result in total cessation of supplemental air to the patient, which can result in harm or death.
In view of the foregoing, there is a tremendous need, long felt in the art, to provide improved devices and methods for delivering supplemental oxygen to a patient.